The Dillon tribune., 1887-02-25

boring creek. The blown horses >cer'eo
M. grateful water. and checked down to
drink oft. The right hand rider loosen'"
hi, bride that his steed might gratiiv h''n
self. The other frightened his reins ano
struck wSh his spurs. His horse 'g:'''ere''
and leaped across the stream. AS the arm
ed hoo;s struck fire from the sn,oofh stones
on the opposite. the rider of the or'n"''S
horse saw burst out Of the white rock above
them gray cloud with central tongue o.
flame, and his conrade fell to the ground
His immediate reply with both barrels oi
his shotgun showed that he did not mistake
This for any natural phenomenon. The
sound Of the shots brought the rest up at a
y.,iop, and rapid fire was opened on the
end Of the rock.
| Rut the instant Fortner fired he sprung
hack behind the rock and then ran under
its cover Il little distance up the mountain
sid, 10 a dense laurel ihickei, in which he
,ay down behind log and reloaded his RI
1e. lie listened. the firing had ceased,
and half.dozen dis,nounied men were
carefully approaching the spot whence
had come the fatal shot. lie heard the cap
tain order man back and bring up the
wagon. that the body of the dead man
mi.h, be put in it. AS the wagon r"'no'eo
up the disnounted ren reported that the
bush whackvr had made good his escape and
was no longer behind the rock.
well. he hasn't gone very far said the
CAPTAIN, ~ ith savage oath. "He can have
gone very far, and I'll have him. dead or
alive, before leave the spot: The whole
gang Of I.inco!nitc hcllhounds are freed up
there, and not one of them shall get away
alive" lie pu, a bon. whistle to his lips
and sounded s!ril! signal. A horsenan
,rot,ed up from the rear in response to the
call, leading hound with a leash "Takr
the hound IA, to tha; ,o:k there, Bill said
the captain, "and set him on that devil ;
trail. Five more nl YOU dis'nount ard de
plov there on the other side of the road.
All Of you move forward cautiously. watch
ing the dog, and make sure You save the
whc,p when he is run out"
The men left their saddles and moved
forward with evident reluctance. They had
the highly emotional nature usual in the
poor white of the south, and this was deep.
Is depressed By the weird loneliness that
broodcd over everything, ond the blood.
shed thev had witnessed. Their thirst fo,
vengeance was being tempered BY grow
ing supers.i,ious fear. There was something
supernatural abou: these mysterious kill.
ings. Each man, therefore, only moved for.
ward as he felt the captains eve was on him
or as his comrades advanced The dog. al
ter some false starts got the scent, and star
ted IN follow For,ner's foot steps.
"He's done tuck the trail, Capn,' called
back one OF the men.
"Al! right answered the officer; "don''
take yoar eyes o.f him tor a second til! he
trees the game"
But the logs an! the rocks and impene.
trahlc darkness in .!,c shadows r.,d. it i'm
possible to follow the movements OF the
hoard every moment. Only For,ner va,
) able TO do this. lie could see the great
sreensh ..cl!ox eyes burn in the pitch>
depths and steadily draw nearer to him
They entered the laurel s:,ck-, and ,he
beast growlcd as hr tri, the nrarn.ss .: hi,
iprey.
"Wolimust be git,in' close ter him." sale
nr Of the men.
Fortncr laid his rifle across the log, ant
drew from his belt :: long Keen kuIc. u,
stirred slightly in doing this. and il ,urn;,.
to confront the dog. The hound sprung Tor
ward with 4 yrowl that was abruptly ended
for For,ner's left hand shot cat ..kr an ar
row, and caught the loose toll> OF skin O,
the bru.e's neck, and the mex, in>tan, hi
right, armed with the knife, descended an
laid th- animals shoulder and nrck opc,
with long deep cut. Blu, the dar,urs
made Fortner mistake the distance lie ne
ther caught the dog securely, uor sent tn
knife to his heart. as he intended, ;ud tn
mound tearing away, ran oa, into ths moor
light, bleeding and yr!pins. He:ore h
reached his human allies Fo,,ner had ,i,sn
. sped hac. 100 yards to more >ecur
/. shelter, SO that the vollcy which WAS po n,
cd int" the th'cket only endangered ii,
lives OF the chipmunAs d-nizencd ,he,
The mounted men rode forward ani ,oiux
# those On foo. in rakins the cor>r with cha
t yes OF buckslot.
: Away above Fortner ani Harry rose vel
y and the c'aster OF galoping hor>vs Befo
= they could imagine what ti.i> meant lit,
IS ca'alcaie swept by at Il mad galiop vc!lir
" at the top OF thci! voices, and charging ,
e rcc,lX 1t EGufrds.rafrS h..l,w L., e.,